Manufacture of incandescent devices for gas-burners



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. A. VON WELSBAGH. MANUFAGTURE 0F INGANDESGENT DEVICES POB, GAS BURNERS.

No. 438,125. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. A; VON WELSBAGH. MANUPAGTURE OP INGANDBSGENT DEVIGES POR GAS BURNBRS.

No. 438,125. Patented Oct. 7,1890.

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UNITED STATES CARL ALTER VON VELSBACH, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO THE WELSBACH INCANDESCENT GAS LIGHT COMPANY, OF NEV JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE OF INCANDESCENT DEVICES FOR GAS-BURNERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 438,125, dated October 7, 1890.

Application filed June 8,1886. Serial No. 204,558l (No model.) Patented in France November 4, 1886,No. 172,064; in Belgium November 4, 1885, No. 70,739; in England December l2, 1885, No. 15,286, and March 13, 1886,1To. 3,592; in ItalyEebruaiyZS, 1886, XXXVIII, 310; in Cape of Good Hope March 4, 1886, No. 6/205; in Victoria March 17, 1886, No. 4,472; in Tasmania March 24,1886,No. 398/9; in South Australia May 3, 1886,No. 678; in New South Wales May 11, 1886, No. 1,829/2; in New Zealand June 11, 1886,1T0. 1.863; in Queensland June 28, 1886, No. 106; in Finland July 10, 1886, No. 261; in Spain August 10, 1886, No. 9,031/5,858; in Norway August 25, 1886, No. 88, and in India September 2/9,1886,

Nono/1,145.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL AUEE von WELs- BACH, a subject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Empire 5 of Austria-Hungary, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Incandescent Devices for Gas-Burners, (for which patents have been obtained in France, dated November 4, 1885, No. 172,064; in Belio gium, dated November 4, 1885, No. 70,739; in Italy, dated February 23, 1886, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 310; in France, (Certificate of Add1tion,) dated April 22, 1886, No. 172,064; 1n Belgium, (Certificate of Addition,) dated September 9, i5 1886, No. 74,502; in Spain, dated August 10, 1886, No. 9,031 5,858; in Italy, (Certificate of Addition,) dated October 13, 1886, Vol. XL, No. 415; in Finland, dated July 10, 1886, No. 261; in Norway, dated August 25, 1886, No. 88; zo in Victoria, dated March 17, 1886, No. 4,472; in New South Wales, dated May 11, 1886, No. 1,829 2; in Tasmania, dated March 24, 1886, No. 398/9; in Queensland, dated June 28, 1886, No. 106; in New Zealand, dated June 11, 1886, No. 1,863; in Cape of Good Hope, dated March 4, 1886, No. 6 205; in India, dated September 2 9, 1886, No. 40 1,145 in South Australia, dated May 3, 1886, No. 678; in Great Britain, dated December 12, 1885, No.

v3o 15,286, and in Great Britain by application for patent dated March 13, 1886, N0..3,592,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures I, II, and III are. side elevations showing the improved fabric or threads in different positions over a gas-burneifor burning away the fabric or threads; Fig. IV, a side elevation showing one method of suspending the hood or frame comprising the incandescent device; Figs. V, VI, and VII, side elevations showing modifications in the construction of the fabric or threads into tubular forni, and Fig. VIII an elevation showing the hood or frame elliptical in crosssection.

It has been proposed to increase the illuminating power of gas and other burners by causing their flames to heat to incandescence earthy materials and platinum or other Wires or filaments inadeof infusible material, such as magnesia. The wires or filaments hitherto employed in this Way undergo alterations which seriously affect their efficiency, and the filaments are too fragile for practical use.

The object of this invention is the production of an incandescent device for gas-burners, which, While it can be cheaply made and applied, is of great efficiency in its light-giving properties, and has great durability. This 6o incandescent device consists of a light hood or frame, which is suspended over the iiame so as to become heated byit to incandescence, causing it to emit a large body of brilliant light, which may be white or somewhat colored, according to the substances used in preparing the hood. The hood itself is made of light net-work fabric-s uch as muslim-Which, after being impregnated with solutions of salts of the earthy oxides of rarei'metals*such 7o as hereinafter specified-is eXposedto the heat of a flame. The material of the fabric, generally cotton, is soon consumed, leaving a skeleton hood or frame consisting of the incombustible and infusible products of the salts that were employed for impregnating the fabric, and this skeleton hood or frame, though it is'light and fragile, willremain effective as an illuminant for hundreds of hours, care being taken not to handle it or even touch it 8o with any hard body.

The substances which constitute the skeleton hood or frame are the earthy oxides of the type of rarer metals-such as thoriniim, zirconiuin, yttrium, lanthanum, neodymium, and

erbiuni-with some of which may be mingled a little of the less rare earths, such as magnel sia or alumina. There is a wide range of proportions in which these oxides may be min` l gled. Some of the mixtures which have been found effective are as follows:

l. Pure thorinum oxide makes a hood Wh ich is rigid when incandescent.

2. A mixture of thorinum oxide, about three parts with two parts of magnesia, makes a hood which is flexible when incandescent.

3. A mixture of thorinum oxide, zirconium oxide, and yttrium oxide in nearly equal proportions gives a slightly-yellow tint to the white light.

4. A mixture of thorinum oxide, zirconium oxide, and lanthanum oxide in nearly equal proportions, the lanthanum a little in excess, gives a very brilliant light, and the hood is flexible when incandescent.

5. A mixture of thorinum oxide and lanth anum oxide in equal parts, with about half part of magnesia, makes a hood which is iexible when incandescent.

6. A mixture of thorinum oxide, about three parts with one of magnesia and one of alumina, gives a hood which is very flexible when incandescent.

In the mixtures, which include lanthanum oxide, for a portion of that substance yttrium oxide may be substituted.

When ayellow light is desired, the mixture may be: 7. Thorinum oxide and lanthanu-m oxide in equal proportions.

For an orange lightit maybe: 8. Thorin'um oxide and neodymium oxide in equal proportions.

For a greenish light it may be: 9. Thorinum oxide and erbium oxide in equal proportions.

In the mixtures 7, 8, and 9 zirconium oxide may be substituted fora portion of the thorinum oxide. Though magnesia and alumina may be employed, as in 5 and 6, it is better to avoid the use of much of these substances, as hoods containing them are not so durable'as those from which they are absent.

For impregnatin'g the fabric aqueous solutions `of the salts of the metals are employed; but it is not necessary that all the substances should be insolution, as some of the salts that are insoluble may be mixed in pulverulent condition with solutions of salts of the other metals, so as to produce a thickish liquid in which the undissolved salt is suspended. In preparing the solutions many different salts maybe employed. Nitrates of the metals are generally soluble; so, also,but in less degree, are sulphates, iodides, bromides, also some organic salts, such as acetates or formiates. Generally the iuorides, carbonates, hydroxides, and many of the organic salts are insoluble or soluble with difficulty. Those products which are insoluble or only partially soluble may, however, be employed, as above described, in admixture with solutions of soluble salts.

The fabric, preferably of vegetable fibersuch as cotton or flax-woven as an open network, is first cleansed with dilute hydrochloric acid and washed. It is then soaked with the solution, which should be strong, but not quite saturated, and aftera thorough soaking it is pressed and dried. In order to give increased strength, the fabric may be doubled or folded in longitudinal plaits. A fine platinum Wire is then run through the meshes of the fabric near its one end and bent to the form of a ring, so as to turn the fabric into tubular form, and the two edges of the fabric are stitched together with thread impregnated in the same way as the fabrics. By weaving the fabric in the tubular form this stitching may be dispensed with. The tube of fabric is then treated as shown in Figs. I, II, and III of the accompanying drawings, in which m is the tube suspended Y.by a iine platinum wire p by a hook h from the ring of a wire stem t, that can be adjusted higher or lower relatively to the iiame of the burner Z9. At first the upper part of the tube is heated, as shown in Fig. I, the iiame being lighted from above, and then the burner is gradually lowered, or the fabric tube is raised, as shown in Figs. II and III, until the whole has undergone the action of the heat. In this way the combustid ble basis of the fabric is consumed, leaving onlya skeleton tubularhood or frame considerably shrunk, consisting of the infusible and incombustible earthy oxides resulting from the decomposition of the impregnating salts.

In 'order to protect the hood when it is used without a glass, it may be surrounded by a cage of fine platinum wires, as shown in Fig. IV, the wires d CZ for that purpose being stretched between two rings t t", formed by bending the supporting-wire z5. p

In order to strengthen the hood, its upper part may before burning be doubled by folding over and sewing the top edge, as shown in Fig. V, and it is generally advisable, further, to strengthen the upper part ofthe hood, as shown in Fig. VI, by passing fine platinum IOO IIO

wires p through it and attaching them to the supporting ring p. In some cases, also, stronger threads impregnated with the solution may before burning be stitched longitudinally into the fabric, as'shown in Fig. VII. This is of advantage in preventing the hood from being torn by the issuing stream of gas. It is also of advantage to strengthen those parts of the hood which are exposed to the first contact of the flame by serving them with an additional quantity of strong solution applied by a brush or by dipping the fabric in the solution. To make the parts at the top adhere well to the platinum ring they should also be treated in' this way, or it may be with a solution of labout equal parts of magnesium nitrate and aluminium nitrate, to which phosphoric yacid may beadded. Beryllium nitrate can also be used for this purpose'.

Usually the hood is held with an Argandlamp glass over the round flame of a Bunsen burner, the gas-outlet of which should be a IIS hole through a thin plate. A iat flame, hoW- ever, may be used, the hood in that case being of elliptical section, as shown in Fig. VIII.

In manufacturing hoods for transport, they should be afIiXed to the stems t and treated as above described, and after being subjected for about an hour to the heat they can be removed, along with their stems t, in condition ready to be applied elsewhere. While the hood or frame is preferably tubular, it may in cross-section be of any desired form suitable for the conditions required.

Although hoods made as above described by impregnatin g pieces of woven fabric, either fiat or tubular, are most convenient and durable, the basis of the hood may consist of separate threads or bundles of threads suitably impregnated, and such threads may be used instead of Wires for supporting the hood.

I do not here broadly claim a compound for incandescent devices for gas-burners consisting of the oxide of lanthanum, oxide of zirconium, and oxide of yttriuln. Nor doIhere claim an incandescent burner consisting of a skeleton hood or frame composed of such three mentioned oxides, as such constitutes the subject-matter of my application for Letters Patent filed December 7, 1885,Serial N0.185,027. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The method herein described of making incandescing devices, which consists in impregnating a lament, thread, or fabric of combustible material with a solution of metallic salts of refractory earthssuitable When oxidized for an incandescent and then exposing the impregnated filament, thread, or fabric to heat until the combustible matter is consumed. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 4o two subscribing Witnesses, this 24th day of May, A. D. 1886.

CARL AUER VON WELSBAOH. Witnesses:

VICTOR TIsCHLEY, EDMUND JUssnN. 

